1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns medical mammography systems and in particular concerns a radiation protection wall for a mammography system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital mammography systems according to the prior art include the acquisition apparatus for the mammogram and a radiation protection wall in order to offer effective protection against ionizing radiation, for example in the electromagnetic spectrum of the x-ray system. The radiation protection wall is produced from transparent, smoothed and polarized lead glass. The radiation protection wall of known systems can be integrated into a computer-based workstation. The computer-based workstation (acquisition workstation—AWS) normally includes a computer (as a local workstation, with or without a network connection), a monitor, and a keyboard, as well as additional peripheral devices (mouse, printer etc., for example) as necessary. The individual electronic elements or devices of the workstation are normally integrated into a mount, frame and/or into a carrier.
FIG. 1 shows a typical design of a mammography system with a workstation into which a radiation protection wall is integrated. A user of the workstation (normally an MTRA—medical technology radiology assistant) operates the mammography system from behind the radiation protection wall of the workstation. For this purpose, the user must keep both the patient at the mammography apparatus and the monitor of the workstation in sight to control the mammography process. In FIG. 1 an angle range is indicated as an example that denotes in what viewing angle range the user must be active in the control of the mammography process. In systems according to the prior art this is relatively large. Moreover, for an error-free implementation of the medical examination process it is necessary for the user at the workstation to observe the patient at the mammography apparatus without interruption. However, the user must simultaneously and additionally operate the computer of the workstation to control the mammography process, that diverts the user from the continuous observation of the patient, however. The diversion is in particular more severe when the user must assume a different position for the operation and must significantly vary the viewing angle.